


Find Me a Phone Book

by ashes0909



Series: No Shirt, No Shoes, Yes Service [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Clubbing, Getting Together, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark at MIT, M/M, Mutual Pining, One Night Stands, POV Alternating, References to Drugs, Shop Boy Steve Rogers, that turn into two and three and four night stands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-06-06 21:08:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15203507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashes0909/pseuds/ashes0909
Summary: Steve and Tony are definitely into each other, if only they could stop kissing long enough to exchange numbers.





	1. Parting

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! While this story is technically a sequel, it can be read as a stand alone as well. I hope you enjoy it! It was a blast to write. 
> 
> Updates will be every Saturday. :)

“Last night was something else,” Tony said, leaning back against the cashier counter. He  watched the man with broad shoulders and a skinny waist stretch from the ladder to restock a high shelf. When he heard Tony’s greeting, he nearly tripped back on his ladder with surprise, turning to meet him with a pair of wide eyes.

“T-Tony!”

“The one and only.” He pulled at his spandex biker shorts because he liked the way it drew Steve’s eye to his skin, caused him to run his gaze over Tony’s midriff.

Steve attempted to smoothly descend from his ladder, while also keeping his eye on Tony. When he reached the ground, his hands did their best to find the inside of his pockets, but the clothing was spread too tight against his thighs to really fit.

They stared at a each other for a moment before Steve asked, as if just remembering Tony’s words, “What happened last night?”

Tony’s stomach twisted, his smile faltered. Had he read the situation wrong? It seemed Steve had been having a good time, but maybe… “Going to have to up my game, if you forgot--”

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget that night,” Steve interrupted, words too serious for the middle of a bodega. Steve seemed to feel it too, because his blush was something else. “But, uh, that night was two days ago. It’s Wednesday.”

“What? No, impossible. I remember it perfectly. We went back to your place, even though it was so, damn far, and we had to keep quiet as we walked upstairs to the attic, because something about you having a thousand roommates, which, trust me, you’re still way better than my sleeping arrangements. And I couldn’t keep my hands off you the whole cab ride. Though, I can’t believe you wanted to take public transportation because--Whoa. So far away. But yea, your place, then _magnificent_ sex, you manhandled me so good, and afterwards breakfast and syrup and foreplay. Then you said something about another work shift, which, really? Everyday? That’s far too many work shifts-- No. Don’t interrupt me, it is, and I’m on a roll. Because then I went back to campus and to the labs, where Bruce and Jane were arguing over quantum physics, and I provided some light consultation, before heading back out for the night and now I’m here.”

“I think you’re missing a few hours. Or thirty?” Steve ran his hand through his hair, looking at Tony as he bit his lip. “I guess that explains why I haven’t heard from you. Not that--It’s just--You said I’d hear from you, and then I didn’t so...”

He looked far too adorable, all shy and insecure, like they hadn’t spent last night with hearts in their eyes, rubbing against one another on the dance floor. Or three nights ago. Whatever.

Tony approached him, knowing what he must look like as he advanced on Steve like he was prey, but seeing him shift from one foot to another, expression hopeful yet apprehensive, it was too much. No one that hot should be this unsure. “Hey,” he said, as he got within arms reach, lifting his hand to the side of Steve’s face, smiling when the man leaned into it. “Kiss me.”

And Steve did, a soft press of lips against his, until Tony moaned into it, turning it filthy immediately, and Steve’s hands went to Tony’s spandex shorts, and pulled him in closer.

 _Fuck_ , it was like no time had passed, like they were back on the dancefloor under the influence.

Steve pulled back just far enough to whisper, “I get off in ten minutes.”

Tony snorted. “You say that like it’s some kind of accomplishment. I could get off in less than a minute if we're taking bets.”

“What--? No.” Steve shook his head, laughing like it was really Tony that was the adorable one and not Steve. “My shift. I’m not on the night one. I get off around when the club opens, during the week.” He looked Tony up and down. “I’m guessing that’s where you were heading?”

“Me?” Tony looked down at his biker shorts and a crop top, his sneakers lit up with every step he made. “I can see why you'd think that, but I’m here for you, hot stuff. I said, ‘I’ll definitely be seeing you tomorrow’ and here I am! Well not tomorrow but--semantics. I’m here, and you seemed pretty interested and--”

Steve’s strong arms wrapped around his waist, and he was being pulled in again. “So, no club then. I get off in four minutes-- Wow you really can ramble for a while--but, yeah. If you don’t have any other plans…”

“S’why I’m here.”

Steve grinned, and Tony matched it with one of his own.

_~~~_

The pair of light up shoes were discarded near the door, one of the few objects on the floor of the unusually tidy dorm room. A few meters away, a shirt twisted into a pair of biker shorts and a single, white sock rested on top like a cherry. The bed rocked against the floor. Tony was perched over Steve, sliding their chests together before moving lower and lower until his mouth hovered over his cock. “See,” Tony whispered over the tent in Steve’s boxers. “I told you you’d enjoy it if you stayed over.” He mouthed at the straining fabric. “Maybe we can get waffles after I’ve taken care of you.”

Steve lifted a hand to Tony’s hair, brushing with a pressure that sent a spark down Tony’s spine. “Like I told you repeatedly last night, and last-last-last night. You don’t have to convince me.”

His words were genuine, so affectionate for a near stranger. Not the words on the script starring Tony Stark and his One Night Stand.

But Steve had been different from the get go. Bashful, yet eager to experience anything Tony had to offer. And hot. So, so hot, that they could barely make it to Tony's dorm. MIT was closer, and their hands could hardly part from the each others skin long enough to cross the street, let alone make it uptown to Steve's.

Steve was a bright-eyed and honest guy, telling Tony he’d love to stay, to spend more time together. Tony couldn’t focus on Steve’s words. If he did, his stomach would start to squirm, so instead he did something far easier, far more tasty, and lowered his mouth to the fabric covered cock.

Steve hips thrust in reply, a hand coming to Tony’s head, gripping once then falling to cling on the sheets. And no siree, Tony would have none of that. He reached out for the hand and returned it to his hair, pressing on Steve’s fingers until he gripped. “I wondered how it would be,” he told Steve’s cock, “when the drugs wore off.” He took a breath before looking up at Steve’s face, to see the clear, blue eyes already on him. The already familiar expression of lust heated them, his pupils blown so that just a ring of blue remained, but this time his euphoria had nothing to do with ecstasy running through his veins. “You’re still saying nice things to me, so that’s good.”

Steve raised onto his forearms and pressed his lips together, a blush fighting through the flush of his arousal. “I liked you before we went clubbing, Tony. You were the one that was high that whole night, but--” his hand twitched in Tony’s hair, before starting to stroke through the strands. “There you are, down there doing nice things to me, so that’s good.”

Fuck, Tony was screwed. Usually he woke up and it was straight to the door, either himself or whatever companion he’d found for the night. But the first night there’d been pancakes and ‘see you soons’, and now Steve was in his bed, and he had looked so good lying next to him still asleep. When he finally opened his eyes he saw Tony, the first thing he did was smile. So yeah, Tony decided he wanted to suck his dick instead of show him the door, and now they were declaring ‘like’ for one another, or something equally as uncomfortable.

He lowered his mouth back to Steve’s cock instead of replying to Steve’s all-together too heartfelt comment. The fabric of Steve's boxers was soaked, and it started to taste of his precome. Tony liked to tease, to keep his partners on the edge. The noises coming out of Steve, deep moans and soft whimpers-- fuck, it would fuel his fantasies for weeks. But he also wanted more, wanted to taste more. He reached for the waistband--

 _Bang! Bang!_ “Tony are you in there?” Rhodey’s voice, not loud but stern. Crap.

Steve had frozen under him, and was looking at him now with wide eyes instead of hooded ones, and Tony groaned, pressing his face into Steve’s chest. “Go away!”

“Tony,” a softer voice cut in. Pepper. Which meant Rhodey had to come in, because he couldn’t leave his two best friends outside the in the hall, especially when one of them technically owned half the dormroom. He looked back down at Steve, who was _of course_ doing something entirely too sexy to focus. Seriously, why was he always biting his lip like that?

Fuck, he was going to have to move away from a man who out-beautied the Statue of David. Tony cursed into Steve’s nipple, then flicked it with his tongue because he deserved nice things even if Rhodey and Pepper were here to take them away. Then he pushed back.

“Is he the owner of that bed over there?” Steve gestured towards the other side of the room.

“Got it in one,” Tony replied, watching as Steve leaned over for his shirt, sending Tony’s sock under the bed. He left it there, grabbing his biker shorts instead. He pulled Steve’s pants from where they landed on the chair and reached for an MIT hoodie.”I’m coming, I’m coming.” He walked towards the door, looking behind him to see Steve still on the bed, but with pants on and an uncomfortable frown on his face. “You good?”

Steve ran a hand through his messy hair, and it did absolutely nothing to fix it. When he looked back at Tony, he was biting his lip again. That...was starting to become a problem. “I--I guess?”

“It’s fine,” Tony tried to reassure him. “Rhodey and Pepper, they’re great, you’ll love them, you’ll see. My friends, but they're slowly becoming a package deal. I may be playing matchmaker, maybe.” Stop. Talking. Why was he rambling? Oh, maybe because he was about to introduce his two incredibly nosy best friends to his one night stand. Well, two night stand, now. Right. He took a deep breath and turned back to the door. He pulled it open with a bit too much force, a smile painted on his face. “Good morning, friends! And together so early in the day, I see. Isn’t that interesting…”

“Tony,” Rhodey warned.

Pepper rolled her eyes. “Good morning, Tony.” She kissed his cheek, pushed passed Tony and into the room. Only to stop short when she saw Steve. He was standing near the bed now, hands half in his pockets in an attempt to look casual. When Pepper approached he stuck out a hand in greeting. Of course.

“Hi, I’m Steve. Nice to meet you.”

Pepper turned her head back to Tony, a smirk that rivalled a cheshire cat spreading across her face. “So polite,” she commented before turning back to Steve. “I’m Pepper, that’s Rhodes, we’re Tony’s friends and where are you from? I can’t say I’ve seen you around before.”

“Pepper,” Tony began only to be cut off by Pepper.

“What? I’m just asking him a perfectly normal question. Friendly conversation, Tony, look it up.”

“I don’t go to MIT,” Steve said, presumably to interrupt the stare contest Tony was having with Pepper. “We met over the weekend.”

“What?” Rhodey crossed the room, throwing his backpack on his twin bed and then following it down. He situated his head on the pillow, hands perched behind his neck. “I thought you went to the club last weekend. I saw Happy leaving here like he made a million bucks.”

“Not quite that much.” Tony chuckled, hand rubbing the back of his neck. “But he definitely enjoyed the bonus, I’m sure.”

“Oh, Tony, I really wish you wouldn’t--” She broke off, eyes turned to Steve, trailing over his collared shirt and wide eyes. “He doesn’t seem like party drug type.”

A spectacular blush erupted on Steve’s face and Tony would’ve been amused if the comment hadn’t also made Steve start shifting on his feet. “I work across the street from the club,” Steve explained. “That's where I met Tony, and then he took me to the club and, uh, kinda…” A pause, like he hardly knew how to continue the sentence even as the words fell from his mouth. “...showed me a good time.”

Rhodey snorted from his bed. Pepper smacked his sneaker, and Tony rolled his eyes at both of them as he walked back across the room to stand by Steve. He was looking at Tony like a cornered, frightened animal, and Tony wished he knew how to handle this situation but, well, _usually they were out the door by now!_ “Yup!” he said too loud. “We had a great time, been having a great time, and now you’re here and that’s just _great_.” His fingers came up to put sarcastic air quotes around the word. “Let’s go back to why you two were together so early in the morning. Study session or is this a group walk of shame?”

Tony stepped too far over the line. Pepper’s jaw clenched and Rhodey spun around so his feet touched the floor. “We ran into each other in the quad. I spent the night with the ROTC boys.” Rhodey supplied, too causal, eyes falling back to Steve. “How was the club?”

“ROTC guys, huh? I don’t know why you guys won’t just tell me that you’re dating.”

“Cause we’re not--” They both began, then cut off the words, in union. Tony rolled his eyes. Rhodey narrowed his. “How was your _date_ , Tony?” He gestured towards Steve.

Tony felt himself getting riled up, his friends had been up to something all semester and now they were using Steve as a pawn of distraction. “My date was great, I blew him at work then he scared off some punk for me, and we fucked each other’s hands in the bathroom. Also there were pancakes.”

“Tony!” Pepper exclaimed, eyes wide.

Whoops. He’d gone too far, again. Crap, and Steve’s face showed it. “I should go,” Steve began on cue. The first line of his normal One Night Stand script, only this time they had an audience. “It’s late and--” He was walking towards the door.

“It’s not even noon,” Tony pointed out.

“Yes, but, your friends.” Steve gestured around the room, blushing deeply at the prudish pout Pepper pursed on her lips before looking back to Tony with a pleading expression on his face, like he wanted Tony to understand but couldn’t say the words. “I gotta go. I’ll see you soon.”

The door shut after him, and two pairs of eyes fell on Tony. “I hate you both,” he told the air.

“Hate us? What did we do?”

“Yeah, I literally just came home to my dorm. He was the one that chose to leave.”

“Because you scared him off.”

“Nah,” Rhodey disagreed. “He looked liked he only left because if he had stayed, he would’ve died of embarrassment. He probably wants to see you again--”

“Oh, fuck,” Tony blurted out, throwing his head back to hit the back of the door. “We never exchanged numbers.”

Rhodey sucked in a breath. “Ouch.”


	2. Yearning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday! Thanks for reading :)

Steve had been chased out of a dorm room by the friends of a boy he liked, but hey, at least his bus drove up right when he got to the stop. He kicked at the parking lot, watching a few stones fly under his foot, before stepping onto the bus. He was riding off campus in less than five minutes. 

_ Hell, _ that all turned around quickly. One minute, he was being teased by Tony’s wicked mouth, and the next--Nothing like intruding friends to act as an effective cold shower. 

Outside the window, the bus passed by the bodega where he worked. Steve could see just the hint of Bucky’s long, dark, hair as he stocked the shelves. His eyes caught on the club across the street of their own accord, and his body actually tingled at the memory of the evening. He’d never before done half of what he’d done with Tony that night, never been...intimate in public. Never been to a club, and definitely had never tried any drug at all, let alone one known for scooping ice cream cone sized chunks out of his brain. He’d read that one day on a flyer and the imagery stayed with him so long he'd sketched it once. 

He was in Tony’s bed one minute and out on the curb the next. Leaning his head on the window, it was easy to remember the feel of Tony against him. He was a wonder that first night, even when the drugs had faded in the early morning hour. And this morning, Steve took a moment to think of what it would’ve been like without the interruption as he left the bus and headed to the L train. 

The train was empty as it went over the river and into the neighborhood of rowhouses. He let the stops go by and recalled the spine tingling slide of the ecstasy, and he knew it was an experience he enjoyed but could see the dangers in falling to it, the temptation of an easy joy. Sometimes he felt like he was drowning in his own life, and there was an appeal in a drug called ecstasy. That was the reason he knew it wasn’t going to be something he did very often. 

He wondered about Tony and his Happy, what it meant that Steve now knew someone like Tony even existed, and knew he wasn’t going to be able to forget about him any time soon. Before Tony, he never thought he could have oral sex in public, let alone in the bodega while he was working. 

He thought of Tony as he disembarked the train; he thought of Tony as he walked down the sidewalk among the rowhouses. The sounds of his roommates rang out through the open window, and he thought of Tony even as he heard Natasha’s Russian soap operas as he pushed open the door. 

They were all prepping for breakfast. Sam was chopping some potatoes and throwing them into a pan. Natasha was setting the table that connected the kitchen to the living room. Steve loved their house and the collection of eclectic furniture and hand-me-down decorations. Tony had loved it.

Sneaking him up into the attic had been a nearly impossible feat. Bucky had fallen asleep on the couch, and he slept lighter than Nat and Clint, whose bedroom doors were right by rickety attic stairs, but somehow they had managed. God, they would have known immediately that he was high. He could imagine Clint bent over in laughter, because he always found it hilarious whenever Steve did anything remotely illegal.

“That you, Steve?” Sam noticed him first, holding a freshly golden pancake on the spatula. “I thought you were still up in the attic.”

Natasha unfolded from her chair, coming to stand next to the television, almost mimicking the actress on screen unintentionally, her hand on her hip and chin lifting while she surveyed him before asking her question. “And where were you last night?”

“Working.”

“Till eleven the next morning?”

“You’re the one training to be a detective, what do you think?” 

Clint sucked in an exaggerated breath at Steve’s cheeky reply, then whistled between his teeth. “Are you doing the walk of shame?” His grin would be infectious under different circumstances. “Does this have anything to do with those moans I heard coming from your room this weekend?”

“What?” Natasha asked. “How did I miss that?” 

“Must’ve been Buck’s sexual prowess wearing you out.”

“Gross,” Sam interjected, but Natasha just smirked, smug as ever.

“Or,” Clint continued. “Maybe you’re not as good of a detective as you thought.” Clint avoided Nat’s reply by walking over and high-fiving Steve. “Twice in one week. Nice.” 

“Food’s ready,” Sam announced. “Not that anyone cares, now that Wonder Boy here finally got laid.”

“I’m starving,” Steve said. He wasn’t, but he promptly ignored everyone in the room in favor of bacon and eggs.

“Where do you think they met?” Natasha asked Clint, both standing behind the chair Steve took at the table. They were staring at the back of his head, Steve just knew it. His nape itched and he wanted to shift in the seat but instead he squeezed ketchup in a circle on the plate. 

“Must be the bodega, right?” Clint conspired in a low whisper. “He never really goes anywhere else.”

Natasha snapped her fingers. “Not true. The art class, the one he started last month.” 

“Possibly.” Clint replied. Steve squeezed his fork just a little too hard. “Over under that he’ll call him?”

Natasha hummed, but Steve didn’t care because his stomach had dropped to his feet. “Oh, no.”

“He speaks.” Steve could barely hear Clint’s commentary, because he realized the horrible truth. After this weekend, Steve had written Tony off, chosen to think of it as his one and only one night stand. Which, now that he thought about it, wasn’t very fair. Tony had been more than eager when high, and firm about it when sober--he did want to see Steve again. But still he hadn’t believed, so he hadn’t thought about it. 

But now it was different. Tony had made an effort, and Steve wanted to do the same. Except, he didn’t have Tony's number. 

“You forgot to get his contact info, didn’t you?” Natasha asked from over his shoulder. 

Steve nodded at his eggs.

“See--” a tussle broke out behind him, Clint groaning in pain “--told you I was a good detective.”

“Can you use your detective skills to find a Tony from MIT’s phone number?”

“A college student, huh?” Sam asked around a mouthful of bacon. ”Hot.”

Nat patted his back in sympathy before sitting next to him at the table. “No, I can’t use the precinct’s database to look up your hookup. Also, if he’s in there that means he’s been processed for something. Does he seem like the type?”

“Well.” Steve shrugged. “He maybe, kind of…We...”

Sam smirked from across the table. “Oh god, this is going to be good.” 

“Did ecstasy,” he mumbled quickly before shoving more eggs into his mouth. 

Natasha groaned. “I do  _ not  _ need to be hearing this.”

“I do!” Clint assured, sliding into the chair on Steve’s opposite side. “Was it fun? Of course it was fun. Nothing like some lowered inhibitions around a new person you like. Was it more electric feeling or like riding a wave?”

“Uh, both,” Steve answered, but his mind was on Tony. How could he have forgotten? “I know where he lives, anyway. I was at his dorm this morning until his friends came in.”

“Kinky,” Clint interjected.

“Well, there you go,” Natasha said, completely ignoring Clint now in favor of helping Steve. “You can stop by one night and say hi.”

“Right.” Steve knew she was right, he could. Except the thought of stopping by unannounced seemed so...presumptuous. Sure, Tony had said he was interested, and Steve believed him, but that didn’t mean he was the only person Tony was interested in. Let’s face it, Tony was beautiful and obviously liked to go out a lot. He could have anyone he wanted, and maybe he did. To intrude on that? No. Steve wouldn’t. Tony knew where to find him, had found him. 

He shoveled the last bite of breakfast he could stomach into his mouth, and it tasted like sand. All he could think about was if he only had his number, Steve could send Tony a message right now, ask him out on a proper date. He’d know right then and there, if that was something Tony wanted. But he didn’t have his number, so he couldn’t. 

The rest of the week was filled with the same spiral of thought. Anytime he heard music he thought Tony would like, or something funny on his commute, he thought about sending it to Tony and wishing, yet again, that he’d remembered, that he hadn’t been so distracted by the whirlwind that was Tony.

Riding by campus before every shift was difficult. Every brunet looked like it could be him. He knew the precise moment that the bus would change lanes and he’d get a glimpse of the corner of Tony’s dorm. The weekend came, and he wondered if Tony would come by the store again before heading to the club.

“You’re going to pull your neck, looking out the window like that.” Bucky offered, unhelpfully, as he threw a candy bar over the cash register. It hit Steve in the chest. 

“Hi, Buck. You’re late.”

“Nah,” he said, drawing out the word.

“Saying that doesn’t make it less so.”

“Fine,” Bucky conceded, sliding to the other side of the counter by leaping over it. “You’re right. I’m late. Sorry, Cap. You gonna make me run laps around the block. Sorry, I made you late for your club date.”

“What? I don’t have--.”

“Oh, I just thought since you’d been staring at the club since I got here.” Bucky narrowed his eyes. “But there is someone. Nat told me, but she didn’t need to. It’s more than obvious from the way you’ve been moping around.”

“It’s not--”

Bucky shook his head, reached out and shaking his shoulder a bit before pulling him into a hug. Steve let him, because he’d known Bucky long enough to know that he’d never escape Bucky’s circle of people he protected. In the years he’d known him, the circle had grown to include new people: their roommates, Nat, who held a place as close to the center as Steve. “From what I hear, he knows where to find you, and you know where to find him.” Bucky pushed back from the hug and swatted Steve on the top of the head. “Stop being so scared and go talk to him, or wait for him to go talk to you, but all this moping? All it’s doing is putting everyone off group meals, and you know I need Sam’s cooking in my life because otherwise  _ I  _ have to cook. You hear me?”

Steve snorted. “How self-sacrificing.” 

“Part of my nature.”

“It’s been days. I thought he’d show.”

“He sounds like a club rat, Steve. Or maybe he’s sitting in his fancy dorm right now waiting for you to show. Either way, stop moping about it and do something. Your shifts been done for almost a half an hour.”

“Fifteen of which, you were late for.”

“Which I then immediately paid you back for by playing therapist. Go. Make a decision. This waffling is pathetic.”

“We were going to go get waffles,” Steve groaned.

“Oh god, you’re sickening. Go. Get out of here.”


	3. Searching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm updating a little early this week since I'll be traveling tomorrow. I hope no one minds ;)  
> As always, thanks for reading!

Tony had two options: he could wait until he caught Steve at the bodega again, or he could use one of the library’s campus computers, use one of his many dummy user accounts to gain access then hack into the bodega’s internal computer system until he found the employee information.

_ James Barnes _

_ Clint Barton _

_ Natasha Romanoff  _

_ Steve Rogers _

_ Sam Wilson _

Steve. 

“Studying? I thought geniuses didn’t have to study.” Bruce Banner’s voice broke through his coding haze. “Whoa! So, not studying. Are you-- Hey! That’s the place that makes those amazing steak sandwiches.”

“It also sells a mean bottle of water.”

Banner pulled out the chair next to him, sliding into it with a loud thud as his pile of books hit the desk. “Is that why you’re hacking into their system?” he whispered, looking around like someone who was very much up to no good. “For water and steak sandwiches?”

“Yup,” Tony replied, popping the 'P' at the end of his word.

Bruce fidgeted with the books, banging the sides with his hands until the corners lined up. “I’m going to hypothesize that you’re being facetious right now.”

“Was that thought your first test of that hypothesis because bravo?”

“Maybe.”

Tony chuckled. The thing about Bruce wasn’t that he was socially awkward, it’s that he was so darn nice he never wanted to assume anything about anyone. “I’ll take pity on you. I’m stalking a one--well, two-night stand.”

“Oh.”

“Yup.”

“I, uh, I don’t think you should do that Tony.”

“You’re absolutely, one hundred percent correct, Brucie Bear.” He reached into his back pocket, pulled out his phone and copied the number on the screen into it. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

A group of students walked by, discussing aerodynamics and velocity; Tony and Bruce stared silently until they passed. As soon as they were out of earshot, Bruce leaned in closer. “How exactly are you going to call your two-night stand on a number they didn’t give you? I’m not the best with people but even I know that qualifies as, ‘creepy’.”

Tony stared at the number on his screen, back up to the computer system he probably should log out of already, then, for some tortuous reason, thought about the slightly awed gasp when Tony first grabbed Steve’s cock. “Fuck.”

“Yup.”

“I….don’t know how much self-control I have Bruce. Probably not this much.”

“Hey, now, I’m not telling you one thing or another. Look at me, I give Betty moon eyes in the lab all day and have only spoken to her three and a half times.”

“Did you just say moon eyes?”

“Did you just hack into a bodega?”

“Fuck.” 

“So you keep saying. Do you know of any other way to meet up with him? One that looks less like an invasion of privacy?” 

A couple clicks on the keyboard. “I know his work schedule.”

“There you go.” Bruce pushed back from the line of computers. “Now that we’re done breaking the law, I’m going to go get in line to check these out.”

Tony waved to his friend, eyes on the screen. He could go as early as tomorrow morning, but that would seem desperate. Right? Fuck. He didn’t want to screw this up, going all hackerboy on it just went to show how off-kilter Tony felt when it came to Steve. Maybe he shouldn’t trust his own instincts.

It didn’t seem to matter much anyway. He got a call from Obie the next morning, and he was off to Los Angeles to represent Stark Industries at a convention.

“Look, Tony, it’s not long, a week at most,” Obie had said through the phone. Not begging, because Obie never let anyone think they were doing him a favor, but  _ stressing _ the importance. “This is what you wanted Tony, after your parents passed away and--”

“I know my own decisions, Obie.” He pressed his hand into his brow, easing out the tension, wishing he could recall the controlled freedom of tripping or rolling or floating that a high provided. But Obie’s voice broke through, reminding him of obligation and consequences and his dead, fucking, parents. It was all too much. “I’ll be there. I said I would, so stop hassling me.”

He knew he was being too sharp, too angry. He thought of Steve behind the counter, stocking some lighters or something, waiting to see Tony, maybe perking up every time a customer walked through the sliding doors, only to be disappointed when he saw a face other than Tony's.

He left town after his last class, missing both his Thursday morning Fluid Dynamics lecture and his Friday afternoon Physics lab. Obie’s voice followed him onto his private plane, catching a free ride in Tony’s mind. Reminding him that he didn’t need to be at MIT, that it was a privilege and everyone at SI, especially the board was being incredibly generous. Yet then, any time Tony inquired about a more active role, Obie reminded him of school. Tony didn’t have the energy to parse it out. All he knew was that he wanted to be at MIT and what he wanted mattered more than whatever Obie thought.

He was pent up and frustrated and when he got to the mansion it was too empty, not at all inviting. The house was built only a year before his parents' deaths. It now served as the only home he had that he’d never set foot in.  _ God _ , he was morose tonight. Empty halls and walls the perfect backdrop for something new.  Tony didn’t like thinking of the future: a blank emptiness of decisions yet to be made, consequences yet to be stumbled over. It was much easier to blow away the present than navigate the future. He threw himself onto the couch facing a wall of windows that overlooked the sea. Steve would like it here.

And there it was again. Caring too much for something so small, just an evening, the morning after, and another missed opportunity. Not enough for Tony to be thrown into the abyss that was his future. 

No, that was crazy.

He was thinking of Steve because Steve was fucking hot. And he was alone in this house, pent up from a day of travel. His hand was already sliding over his chest of its own volition. It was easy to pretend it was Steve’s, just imagine it slightly larger, calloused, warm, gripping his sides as they danced. He pulled off his shirt and unbuckled his pants, pulling them down just enough to free his half-hard cock. 

God, he should be in Boston right now, walking into Steve's store--well, not right now, right now a gentleman named Barnes was working, but earlier, when he knew Steve would be there. He’d walk in and walk right around to the other side of the counter. He’d fall to his knees and take Steve without a word, because he knew that would blow his mind. It was important for him to be someone that Steve couldn’t forget. After tripping together, seeing him experience that for the first time... It was a heady sensation, showing him something new. 

Tony wanted to show Steve everything.

He imagined leading Steve out the back of a bodega where a helicopter waited in an alley that could only fit the aircraft in a fantasy, but it didn’t matter, logic didn’t exist, just the way Steve’s eyes would widen and his lips would part with awe and Tony would run a hand over his back, pull him close and lead him to an adventure. God he wanted to suck him so bad, the tease from their early morning together still felt fresh in his mind, Steve’s cock pressing tantalizingly through the boxers.

Tony’s cock was fully hard now, each twist of his palm against the head causing his hips to thrust. His other hand came up, pinching at his nipple, and he heard the memory of Steve’s moans in his ears. He shot off hard in his hand to the mental image of Steve’s smile.

Fuck. He’d fallen hard.

And it was all he thought about for a solid week. Obie left the city immediately, heading to London for some weapons seminar. Tony shook hands with execs from an alphabet soup of weapons corporations, and everyone seemed duly impressed by him. A job well done. Tony couldn’t care in the slightest. 

He’d hacked into the bodega’s employee schedule three times, each one showing the same thing (but he needed to check because maybe it’d change!): Steve had the first shift Monday morning.

Vanko, his West Coast drug dealer texted him once, and it was tempting. LA was known for its club scene, and it had been a while since he hit up West Hollywood. He imagined the lights, the bottle service. He’d packed his neon biker shorts by instinct. Instead, he counted down the hours till Monday morning when he was on his way back to Boston.

The air was cool in the early October morning, and Tony had more clothes on than he ever did when he was on this block. No music poured from the club, the asphalt had potholes and the walls were littered with graffiti. Inside, he could see Steve’s blond hair as he sketched in his sketchpad on the cashier counter. The sliding glass doors opened for him, and he was nervous. The first time he was here, he’d been focused on water, high out of his mind. The second time he thought it was a planned thing, all the flirting about seeing him the next night.

This. This was unannounced. “Hey, Steve."


	4. Finding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday! Or should I say Happy Smut-urday... ;)

It was too cold for October. Every time the bodega’s sliding doors opened, the wind pushed up the corner of Steve's sketchpad. He had a landscape going, but instead of mountains or a riverbank, it was of the center green of MIT, where students often sat to read or meet with a classmate. Everyone was a stranger but in the corner, by a tree, he’d added a few extra shadows and a smirk on the miniature figure that reminded him of Tony.

He hadn’t seen him in a days, and he’d already written him off. Because that's what you did with a one night stand, even one that got under your skin and made your roommates make fun of you, because every time any of them mentioned his name your cheeks exploded.

So it made sense that he’d think he imagined the softly spoken words. That it wasn’t until a shadow fell over his sketchbook and he looked up that he realized what he was seeing was Tony.

“You--”

“I had to go out of town, and I didn’t know how to reach you--”

“You’re here.” Steve walked around the counter, stopping in front of Tony. He was standing too close, but now he could finally see the true angles of the face that had been haunting him. Steve greedily memorized the hues of his eyes, the pout of his lip, because he was pretty sure if Tony disappeared from him again he’d regret not taking the chance.

“So…” Tony bit his lip. “I guess this means you're happy to see me?”

Steve chuckled. “I realized when I got home that I didn’t have your number. Thought about going by the dorm but…” Steve shrugged.

“You didn’t want to seem like a stalker?” Tony smirked. “So, what does that make me?”

Steve smirked back. “A customer?”

“Only if you're for sale. I assure you, I can front the bill.”

Steve leaned in close, so their lips were millimeters apart. “Nah, you can have me for free.” Then he closed the space between them with a heated kiss. Pushing Tony into the counter, lifting him so that he sat on the top of it. Steve knew it was wrong, that he was at work, but he’d wanted this, had _dreamed_ of this exact moment. Tony tasted like coffee and spices, and the way his hands tugged at the hair at the nape of Steve's neck was driving him mad.

“I thought about this,” Tony pushed back to say, before fastening his lips onto Steve’s throat.

“So have I,” Steve gasped. “Can hardly think of anything else. It’s like--” he cut himself off, the words too embarrassing.

But of course, Tony would have none of it. He leaned back on the counter, arms against the top and legs wrapped around Steve’s waist. “It’s like what?”

“A dream.” Steve let his eyes trail over Tony’s lips, his flushed cheeks. The heat in his eyes warmed Steve all over. “You keep flying into my life from out of nowhere.” Tony laughed, way louder than what Steve deemed appropriate for the situation. “What?”

“Soon, literally?”

“What?”

Tony shook his head, then fisted his hand into Steve’s work shirt. “Nothing. Come here.” Then it was Tony’s lips parting, his tongue brushing against Steve’s and sparks were shooting down his spine, making his hands pull Tony’s hips along the countertop until he was flush against Steve.

“Yes,” Tony moaned. “I had to go to California, or else I would’ve showed up sooner. I’m sorry--”

“Shh,” Steve said before kissing him again. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

Something flickered across Tony’s face, but before Steve could ask about it, Tony was kissing him again. Steve gathered him up, wanted to feel more of Tony. It was so easy to remember how the bare skin had felt. He slid his hand under Tony’s shirt, fingers twisting Tony’s nipple. “Steve,” he moaned. “Please, more. I want to--I have a car outside. Please.”

Steve pulled his lips from Tony’s neck. “You want to go fool around in your car? But--”

“The store, I know.” Tony groaned, because Steve had pulled on his nipple again, even though he knew he should stop. They were in the goddamn store, he was at _work._ “Please, again, your fingers, they feel so good. I missed this, I missed you.”

Steve slid his hands under Tony’s ass and hoisted him up so that he had to wrap around Steve as he walked them away from the counter. The feel of Tony in his arms, wrapped around and needy, his hard cock pressing into Steve’s stomach. It was so hot, he wanted more. Urges filled him that he never knew he had, to push Tony up against the wall, to flip him onto all fours right there in the middle of the store. Tony was climbing him like a tree, every move of his hips pressing against his cock as Tony’s grinded against his abs. Steve walked him towards the back of the store, taking time to lock the front door as he carried Tony past it.

“Holy fuck, you’re responsible. That’s so hot,” Tony breathed into his neck, when Steve flipped the sign to CLOSED. Steve carried him to the wall next to the back door, pressing Tony into it and his cock into Tony’s thigh. He was so hard it was almost painful, he’d been thinking about Tony for days, thinking about him just like this, moaning as Steve kissed down his neck.

“Fuck I want to ride you,” Tony gasped. “Want to fuck you, and suck you and--So much Steve. Let’s get horizontal, _please_.”

Steve’s cock twitched in his pants, and it was a sacrifice to pull Tony away from the wall but as they stumbled into the narrow hallway that led to the alley, then out the door to the car, Steve knew it’d be worth it to have Tony laid out under him, or sliding into Tony’s lap and grinding their hips together. “Your keys,” Steve said between kisses.

“Door’s open.”

“Tony,” Steve chastised against his collarbone.

“Are you really giving me a lecture right now? Open the door!”

The laugh broke from his throat and sparked goosebumps across Tony’s neck. “It’s not that hard to hotwire a car, and there you go just leaving it open.” Steve pulled open the door and pushed Tony inside.

“Ooof!” Tony yelped at the landing. “How do you know about that?”

Steve let his smile turn predatory, as he crawled over Tony’s body. “Desperate times.”

“Desperate,” Tony sighed, hips thrusting up into Steve. “Measures.”

“Exactly.” Steve kissed him again, hand sliding down and palming his erection through those thin biker shorts.

“Fuck, Steve. You can get me off like that.”

Steve moaned at the thought, of Tony coming in his shorts and having to walk back to the dorm that way, sticky, filthy, and Steve would be the reason why. Steve ground his palm even more.

A frantic shout made them both freeze. They looked at each other with wide eyes, but before either of them could say a word the shouting returned, this time even closer. “I can’t believe you!” A familiar voice, muffled from inside the store.”You’re supposed to be the _responsible_ one, Rogers!”

Nick Fury. His boss. The owner of the bodega.

Steve slid back, hands fisting against the side of the leather seat. It was soft and Steve looked around for the first time, realizing the car was much nicer than the average sedan. He wanted to comment on it, ask Tony so many questions, but they had to move. Fury had been out of town for months, but of course _now_ was when he decided to stop by for a pop in.

Tony dragged his hips against Steve’s, and before Steve could even moan Fury started shouting again.

“Who is that?”

“It’s my boss.” He had to pull away, he could lose his job because of this, but all he really wanted to do was kiss the pout off Tony’s face.

“But you locked the door,” Tony sounded personally affronted, not at all budging when Steve pushed at his hip.

Steve chuckled. “The store may not get robbed, but we’re definitely not making Fury any money.”

“But we’re making something.” He thrust his hips up into Steve halfheartedly. “Making out.” Tony winced at his own words, but the pout never left his face. “That was bad, sorry.” He pressed his hand against his cock and Steve followed the movement. “I guess you have to go, then.”

“Yeah.”

The back door to the alley burst open. “Rogers!”

Steve scrambled from the car, and Fury spun on his heel, walking back into the store, knowing that Steve would follow. With one last kiss, he was out the door.

It wasn’t until he was halfway through mopping the bathroom as punishment that he realized he'd forgotten to get Tony’s number. Again.


	5. Losing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!

In all the years Tony had been coming to this downtown block, it never looked the same. One time, a huge parade had gone by, the revelers had emptied out into the street and all the cement between the dance club and Steve’s bodega was painted Saint Patrick’s Day green. There was the time he was tripping on shrooms and the asphalt morphed into water and he had the sudden urge to jump in it and quote Hocus Pocus, so he did. Then there were all the times he made out with guys against the brick wall of the club, or in the alley. He’d seen fights, dodged jealous boyfriends, danced in the rain, and cried in the dark.

But nothing had ever caused his stomach to drop like the sight of the **CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE** taped to the bodega door.

He could see through the dark shop that all the inventory was still stocked on the shelves, but there wasn’t anyone inside. How was he supposed to come and finish what he and Steve started when the store was closed?

Tony turned from the sliding doors before he did something embarrassing like throw a tantrum against the glass. He followed the familiar path back to campus and thought about Steve’s phone number, the one he knew by heart now.

If he called, he’d have to explain how he got it, have to explain his less redeeming skills and hobbies.

Maybe Steve would laugh it off, find his stalking hilarious and adorable.

Stranger things had happened, right?

He went back and forth until he reached his dorm. He could hear Pepper and Rhodey laughing as he slid in the key to the door. One look at his face, though, and both their expressions fell.

“Do I look that bad?” he asked, before throwing himself face first onto his bed.

“Do you really want to know the answer to that question?” Rhodey asked.

Pepper sighed and stood up from Rhodey’s lap to come sit next to Tony. “He already knows the answer to that, hun. Catch up.” Tony snorted into his pillow, because Pepper and Rhodey getting together did little to stop their bickering, only amplified it, if anything.

He heard Rhodey groan and felt Pepper’s hand make its way to his hair, her nails sliding through the strands and making him have to squeeze his eyes tight to fight away his tears of frustration. “Store's closed,” he explained.

It must’ve taken them a moment to understand through the muffled pillow but eventually they spoke at the same time.

“It'll reopen soon,” Rhodey assured him.

“Do you _still_ not have his number?” Pepper asked, aghast.

Tony took a deep breath before rolling away from the pillow, letting the wall hit his back. “No it won’t, and, no, I don't.” He punched the pillow that just seconds ago was providing him a cushioned solace. “And now he’s gone. Again.”

Rhodey hummed.

Tony curled on his side to pin his friend with a glare. “What does that mean?”

“I didn’t say a word.”

Tony growled, and the comfort of Pepper’s hand running along his side stilled. “You guys think there’s a reason...that what? That he doesn’t want me to have his number?”

“We never said that, Tony.”

“You guys met, partied, went back to his house and...you know.” Tony snorted at Rhodey’s inability to say the word sex, or fucking, or shacked up or anything. “Don’t laugh at me, I’m just looking out for you. I’m not saying I’m right it’s just...he’s known where you’ve been this whole time. So, where is he?”

Tony’s stomach clenched, and he rolled back over to bury his head in the pillow, his words muffling when he spoke. “I thought you were supposed to make me feel better.”

Pepper’s hand returned to his back, rubbing up and down in a familiar way. “We have your back Tony, you know that. We just want to make sure you considered the possibility that maybe he was…”

“Using me for sex.”

The dormroom was silent in reply, and Tony felt like absolute shit. Pepper and Rhodey were probably having a silent conversation, the type they’d grown accustomed to having since they’d gotten together. Pepper’s hand slid back into his hair. “We should go out. Go dancing,” she suggested.

Tony stilled, considering the idea. He usually had to beg Pepper and Rhodey to go out with him. It wasn’t that the club wasn’t their scene, it was more that they’d rather have a conversation than grind up on each other. A characteristic Tony barely understood, but begrudgingly tolerated. “Not the usual place,” Tony turned his face from the pillow to say. He couldn’t be across the street from the now closed bodega. All he’d do was think of Steve, even more than he was already.

“My ROTC buddies told me about a new place that opened up across the river.”

“Yuck, an army bar?”

“Um, no. You do know that there are lgbt ROTC members, right Tony?”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Really Rhodey? A lecture. Now?”

“Stop whining. From what my friend said, it sounded like it was right up your alley.”

The idea had its appeal, the mass of bodies could drown out the singular focus he’d formed on one specific, absent, hunk of a man. Pepper always got pursed lipped whenever he called Happy, but he could easily have a good time at the club without recreational substances...though he did still have that half a molly from the other day.

He wasn’t thinking about Steve any more, at least not incessantly. So that was progress. “Fine.”

Rhodey snorted as Pepper swatted Tony’s arm. “Could you sound any less enthused?” she asked through a laugh.

Tony flopped onto his back on the bed and shook out his arms so they could see his jazz hands. “See,” he said, somewhat forced. “Excited.”

~~

The club was loud with criss-crossing bright lights shining over the dancefloor. Pepper and Rhodey were on either side of him, though every once in a while they connected their hands behind Tony, like they were trying to keep their affections hidden for his benefit.

“You cause don’t need to tone down the PDA. I’m used to third-wheeling.” He scanned the bar, looked for somebody, anybody, that would draw his eye. “Plus, this baby doesn’t plan on lingering in the corner for long.” He squashed down the frisure of guilt that rode up his spine. He and Steve weren’t anything to each other, they hadn’t even exchanged numbers for heaven sakes. And so what if Steve had seemed eager to continue seeing Tony? That he had looked relieved when Tony had returned from California? He’d known where Tony was this entire time, yet it always seemed to be Tony going to the store to find Steve.

A flash of muscle, a hot, shirtless boy dancing around the edge of the crowd. He was shorter than Tony even, a curly mop of peroxide blonde hair and a dark colored tank with the sides cut out. He had to be Tony’s age, maybe even a bit younger. And Tony could see how fit he was with every spin he made.

“Let’s go to the bar,” Pepper shouted over the music. She walked ahead, her satin black slip dress catching in the purple light. Rhodey slid his arm around her waist and Tony trailed in their wake, watching the dancing boy. Their eyes locked and stayed. Tony had a chance.

He barely had time to lean against the bar before Pepper was sliding a glass of whiskey on the rocks into his hand. They ‘cheers’ed, his whiskey bouncing off Rhodey’s beer and Pepper’s cocktail. Pepper leaned close, whispering in his ear. “See anyone you like?”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Maybe. Why, you my wingwoman?”

“Wingman and wingwoman.” Rhodey slid his arm over his shoulders. “At your service.”

“Guys,” Tony began, feeling awkward under the attention because they were treating him like this was recovering from a breakup or something, when it was only a stranger, just a hookup. Well a few hookups, but they meant nothing more than that. If they had, maybe he’d be here with Steve right now instead of his two friends. “You’re helicopter wingmaning,” he informed, then sipped his drink in three long swallows before setting the empty glass on the bar. “Go...date night or something.” He waved his hand between them before spinning on his heels.

As soon as he landed on the dance floor, the boy danced over to him, twirling when he got close and throwing Tony an inviting smirk. “Wanna dance?”

“Sure,” Tony agreed, and then he had hands running along his sides and settling on his waist. He looked down at the boy, whose grin had turned cheeky. He bit his lip and ground his hips and said, “You’re hot,” into Tony’s ear.

And none of it was right. He missed the overwhelming size of Steve, how his arms engulfed Tony, how when they danced all he could focus on was Steve.

The boy slid his hand through his own hair, did a fancy move to the beat of music and then shot Tony a shrug when he stopped dancing. “What?” the boy asked, his mouth coming back to Tony’s ear. “Want to find somewhere more private?”

God, Tony could see it. This stranger on his knees in front of him, his large brown eyes tearing at the edges as he swallowed Tony down his throat in one, smooth slide.

It wasn’t what he wanted. Wasn’t who he wanted. Tony spun the boy back towards the dance floor. “I think it’s time for me to turn into a pumpkin for the evening.”

“You just got here.”

Tony smirked, because it was in his nature and he couldn’t help himself. “Been watching me?”

“You know I have.”

He shook his head, gestured towards the dancefloor. “Hottie like you? You’ll be fine. I’ll just rain on your parade.”

“If you say so.” He was already backing away, another moment, and he was just another body in the sea of dancers. Tony headed for the door, texting Rhodey on the way out. All he wanted was his bed, and the phantom scent of Steve that no longer lingered on his pillow.


	6. Surprising

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy weekend!

Tony was naked under him, squirming and arching and rubbing, and Steve could hardly stand it. He reached for Tony’s wrists, caught them in one hand and pinned them to his pillow. Tony's head fell to the side, and Steve’s mouth found the cord of his neck. “God, Steve,” Tony moaned between harsh breaths. “I want you so bad. Please, Steve. Please.” 

He cut off Tony’s pleading by pressing their lips together. He tasted delicious, like Steve would never be able to get enough. But something was wrong, Tony kept moving under the pressure of Steve, sinking deeper and deeper into the bed. Pleasure fled from Tony’s eyes, the panic setting in. “Steve!”

“Tony!” He tried to grab the man, put his arms around his body and hold on tight, but it was like the bed had turned into quicksand and the second he thought he had him, Tony was lost again. “Steve!” Tony’s scream echoed as he sunk deeper and deeper, Steve’s bed disappearing entirely into a blackhole that seemed to only want to take Tony. Steve tried to follow, tried to dive through but there was a barrier.

He woke with a scream, Tony’s name on his lips.

Every one of his roommates averted their gaze when he walked into the living room that morning. But as he went to pour himself some cereal, Clint seemed to reach his limit cause he followed Steve as he went to leave his empty coffee mug in the sink. Steve felt his cheeks flush and Clint’s eyes narrowed. “So sexy, or scary?”

“Wha-- What?”

“You were screaming his name for a good thirty seconds. It's one or the other. I’m trying to figure out if I should high-five you or hug you, man.”

“Neither,” Steve said immediately. “It was just a stupid dream.”

“Ah,” Clint said, like Steve’s response answered all his questions. Then he was wrapped in Clint’s arms, being pressed against his chest. 

All at once every one of their phones vibrated. Bucky called them into the living room, where he Sam and Nat were all staring into their screens, faces a mix of shock and confusion. All three were paler than Steve had ever seen them. 

“What is it?”

“The--the store…” Sam began then trailed off.

“It’s been flagged for a healthcode violation,” Nat informed them.

Steve’s stomach dropped. They all worked there, which meant until it reopened, they were all out of a job. 

“What?” Clint’s voice sounded unsteady as he reached for Nat’s phone. “What the hell. I clean the store like it’s my bow and arrows.”

“You clean your arrows?” Sam asked.

“ _ So _ not the point,” Clint replied. “Fuck guys, what are we going to do?”

Oh god. Steve remembered making out with Tony against the wall. Heck, he’d allowed Tony around the counter to do far more than making out. Oh god. Bodily fluids. What if someone had seen, had reported it?

“Steve,” Nat’s voice broke into his panic, it was laced with concern which only made him feel worse. “Are you okay?”

“What are they sighting as the reason?” Steve asked over Nat’s question.

“Someone spotted a rat. Apparently.” Sam’s holding his phone too tight, his jaw clenched. “This is a city. You show me one store on that street that doesn’t have a rat issue.”

A rat? So, not bodily fluids from midnight blow jobs. That’s good...that’s great. A rat couldn’t be his fault. 

“Steve?” Natasha called again.

“I--” But before he could even finish Bucky was wrapping an arm around Nat’s shoulder, pulling him into his other side.

“The guy just had a nightmare of epic proportions, then found out he's temporarily out of a job. We’re all looking a bit blindsided. Right, Stevie?”

Bucky was giving him an out. He nodded curtly, and took it. 

“Ever get that number?” Bucky asked, and it was like the whole room took a 180 turn, forgetting entirely about their en masse unemployment, in favor of Steve’s lovelife.

He told them the truth, and they made fun of him for hours. Finally, when he couldn't take it anymore, he grabbed a hoodie, his baseball cap, and walked out the front door without telling any of them where he was going. 

But he was sure they would guess correctly anyway.

~~

It was a sunny day on campus, and Steve had to pull down his baseball cap further onto his forehead to even see the crowd in front of him through the sun’s glare. He knew where Tony’s dorm was, the location of it seared in his brain since he’d last high tailed out of it weeks ago. He just had to walk through a sea of what looked to be like a weekly market, and he'd be there. 

As he made his way into the crowd, Steve’s eye caught on every brown haired, MIT-sweatshirt-wearing boy, for just long enough to discount him as Tony. He walked by crafts stands with handmade jewelry that reminded him of Nat. There was an emerald green pendant looked at just long enough for the student-artist to get excited. When Steve shook his head, because he was out of a job and not really in the position to be buying his friends gifts, the student's smile faltered, and Steve realized he’d better stay focused on his goal if he’d ever make it through the craft fair. 

He kept walking, the smell of food starting to waft down the market. Sizzling meats and sweet smelling confections invaded his senses. There was a group of guys excitedly sharing a turkey leg that bumped into Steve. Another brunet that wasn’t Tony, who smiled at Steve and even checked him out, but it only made Steve walk quicker.

On the other side of the food there were sign-up tables, and he had to do a double take. Because the student standing on the foldout table with drone-like robots whizzing around his head--it looked like Tony. A small crowd formed in front of the table, but Tony seemed to completely ignore them, letting the other two students pass around a sign-up sheet for what looked to be like a robotics club.

Tony’s face was flushed from the sun and the attention both his robots and the student body were giving him, though he was trying to make it seem like he was ignoring the group that cheered every time he directed the robots to dance in the air like a orchestra conductor. He looked beautiful, revelling in his genius and Steve was caught between wanting to watch Tony in his element and whisk him off to his dorm. It’d been such a back and forth between them, to the point where Steve very much wondered if maybe they weren’t meant to be.

But then Tony’s gaze landed on him from across the fair, and his whole expression morphed from ringleader to surprised, then--and it twisted Steve’s gut to see--guarded. He’d never seen Tony look, well, vulnerable before. They’d first met when Tony was high as a kite and throwing caution to the wind, then everything after had the frantic rush of wanting to feel one another, bask in one another's presence. So what happened between then and now to make Tony look so...afraid?

Steve waved at him, and Tony pressed his lips together, snapping his fingers so his robots returned to their nearby cases and crates. The crowd in front of him groaned, disappointed, but the other two students shoved sign-up sheets in their hands as Tony jumped from the tabletop. Within moments, he was in front of Steve.

It was like both of them forgot how to speak, staring at one another in hopes that everything they wanted to say made it across the mental wavelength that connected them. But all Steve could see was caution and fear and uncertainty on Tony’s face, and all he felt crossing his own face was relief. They hadn’t lost one another.

“Your store’s closed--” 

“I missed you--” Steve said at the same time, then, “You went by the store again?”

Tony shrugged, curled in on himself. And it made no sense to Steve, why would he be embarrassed about going by the store. “It’s good to see you,” Tony said softly. 

“Fury got hit with a code violation,” Steve explained. “And it’s fantastic to see you.”

Tony smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I thought..when you didn’t--my dorm. Well, what’s it matter? You’re here now.”

Steve should’ve come sooner, should’ve come to Tony right after Fury's interruption. But he was forced to work a double that day, and only a few days later the store was shut down. Steve reached out, slotted his hand into Tony’s, and watched as Tony stared at their connected hands like they were figments of his imagination, a mirage that would disappear if he looked away.  

None of it sat right with Steve. “Do you want to walk around the fair? Get lunch or something?” He’d hope the invite would put a smile on Tony’s face, but it just made his brow furrow.

“Sure.” 

“Okay.”

They walked hand in hand through the crowd until they stopped in front of a funnel cake booth, and Tony’s uncertain expression morphed into one of interest. Steve slung an arm around his waist, pulling him into Steve’s side and eliciting a small squeak from Tony. “You want one?’ Steve looked down with a smile, delighted to be out under the sun with Tony by his side.

Tony blushed, turning his face so he could nuzzle into Steve’s shoulder, and Steve didn’t miss the way that he took a deep breath of Steve’s scent. “You buying? I don’t have any stuff with--”

“Of course I’ll buy. Been meaning to take you on a proper date for ages.”

“Really?” 

Steve winced at the surprise in Tony’s tone. “Well, yeah. I mean…” Maybe Steve had read this wrong all along, maybe Tony just wanted him for sex. They were very good at sex, not so much at the talking or the exchanging numbers. Maybe that was why Tony was acting so odd, but he did say he wanted a funnel cake, a funnel cake with Steve, so he tried to focus on that instead of the warring insecurities floating through his mind.

“One funnel cake please.”

“Oh?” Tony raised an eyebrow. “We sharing?”

It was Steve’s turn to blush. “I thought we could, and then maybe, you know, later, we could,” Steve took a deep breath, made sure Tony’s gaze was on him. “Go out for dinner?”

“I’d like that.” And Tony’s smile finally met his eyes. 

The vendor passed over their funnel cake, and Steve handed it to Tony who took a bite out of it and handed back to Steve. But Steve was much more focused on the way the powdered sugar had smeared against Tony’s lips and cheeks. He wanted to kiss him so bad, right here in the quad, but he wasn’t sure what Tony wanted. 

“What?” Tony asked, shaking the funnel cake for Steve to take. “Do I have something on my face.”

Steve chuckled. “Yes.”

Tony’s eyes darkened. “Well, I guess you’ll have to help me out then.” 

And that answered that question for Steve. He grinned so hard it hurt his cheeks and pulled Tony in again, this time to kiss him right on the mouth. The kiss was short, chaste, perfect. Settling between them, it acted as a reminder that they both wanted this, wanted to be with one another even if they weren’t rolling around naked on top of each other, or rolling on drugs and drawn to one another. Then Steve leaned back just far enough to lick powdered sugar off Tony’s cheek. 

Tony squealed, then denied making the sound when Steve called him out on it. But the brightness never left Tony’s eyes as they finished the funnel cake.

After they walked hand-in-hand through the fair. Steve began telling Tony about the pendant he saw, and Tony was curious, so they made their way back through the crafts fair.

The crowd was thick, and they pressed close together to keep from getting separated. Every bump of his chest to Tony’s shoulder, their hips slotting together, delighted Steve. And then Tony turned to look at him from over his shoulder with a openly happy expression and Steve let himself hope, for just a moment, that this was something he had now, Tony in his life on a sunny day in the quad and every day after. 

Tony’s hand slipped into his, and he pulled Steve towards a stand of leather bags. He wrapped his arms around Steve’s waist and pulled him in for a quick kiss before pulling away. It was like Tony didn’t want Steve to move away far, pulling his arm around Tony’s shoulders as he browsed the bags. Steve looked around at the other students, a young woman with platinum blonde hair and a white cotton dress looking at belts met his gaze and shot him a small smile, like she thought he and Tony made a nice sight. 

“Ooh! Sunglasses.” Tony slipped from under his arm slid through the crowd to the other side of the walkway to the tables on the other side. Steve moved to follow but as soon as he moved a loud blowhorn went off and music started from speakers Steve hadn’t even noticed. 

Steve made to move, excusing himself around the crowd, that had basically stopped moving, to see what was going on down the street. A drum sounded and there it was, a large dragon creature being held up by a dozen students. Steve could already see the parade float behind it where people were waving and throwing out beads. 

“Tony!” he shouted, stepping on the tips of his toes to see Tony by the sunglasses, looking for Steve in the crowd that only seemed to be getting larger as people made their way to the walkway to see the parade. 

Steve pushed passed a few more people, finally hitting the street and trying to rush across it before the parade cut off passage. One step, then another, until a hand came out to grab his shoulder. “Sorry, son. Road’s barricaded.”

His heart was in his throat, he couldn’t get separated from Tony. Not  _ again _ . “Officer, you don’t understand, I need too-”

“You can cross on the far end of the East side of campus or wait til the parade’s over. Those are your options.”

Steve’s fists clenched and he tried to crane his neck to see the sunglasses again, scanning the crowd until he saw Tony, still there with his head whipping around, looking for Steve.

“Tony!” He watched Tony hear the sound of his voice, crane his neck around a group of hockey players that had come to stand in front of him. But then the neon green of the dragon broke in between them, and Steve stumbled back a bit. The hand that had stopped him now settled him as he swayed. 

“You okay, son?”

Steve shook his head, the roar of the crowd and the music pressing against his ears. “I keep losing him.”


	7. Reassuring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday!

“Tony!”

That was Steve’s voice. Wasn’t it? It sounded like Steve, and he’d been right behind Tony, until he wasn’t. Which, okay, Tony knew it was kind of his fault because he’d dashed off across the fair but there were _five_ tables full of sunglasses. He was only so strong.

And Steve had been  _right_ behind him-- But also the last time he’d seen him was when they were cuddling in front of the bags, so maybe he was still on the other side of the parade, talking to that girl Tony had seen him smile at.

Every time he thought he had Steve, something tore them apart.

Now, he had to stand here and wait for the parade to end, which was entirely out of their control, all they could do was wait it out. He’d never hated paper mache and confetti more. There were so many floats, and when did MIT get a dance troop? After a small marching band went by, Tony came to the conclusion that this parade was a collaboration with another school or something because MIT was science and this reeked of liberal arts. He just wanted it to end, because as soon as it did he could run back across the street and finally put Steve’s damn number in his goddamn phone.

The parade ended. The crowd filtered away. Steve was nowhere. He scanned every face in the crowd, every corner of every craft stand, until he had to accept the fact that Steve was gone.

One sob escaped before Tony swallowed it down, boxed up the searing anger and disappointment and sense of unfair  _loss_ because _why?_ How could this be happening again? Every time he thought he got a little bit more of Steve, he lost him entirely in another uniquely heartbreaking way.

Tony wasn’t strong enough for this; there was no way he’d make it somewhere private before it all broke like a dam so he took off running because no one would register anything more than the blur of frantic sophomore rushing to his dorm.

God, he felt so stupid. Of course Steve had left. It was becoming obvious that Steve only wanted to be with Tony for short bursts of time and then off he was for days-- and maybe that’s all this was ever going to be. He wiped his face as he ran, trying to take in deep painful breaths but everything was wrecked, and there was nothing he could do.

He pushed opened the door to his dorm and stopped running. He could hear students walking up and down the hallway, someone playing music with their door open. He took a few deep breaths, kept his head down as he walked through the door.

No one stopped him. A few people shouted out a greeting, and he easily waved them off. He was mostly fine when he turned the corner, until he saw Steve standing in front of his room.

He stumbled to a stop.

“Tony!” Steve sound concerned, his expression anguished as he took in Tony. He knew his eyes were probably red-rimmed and his cheeks puffy, and the collar of his shirt was damp from tears, and Tony didn’t know what to do.

But then Steve opened his arms and he had his answer, waiting in the warm confines of Steve’s embrace. He fell into him, let any pretense fall away with it. “Stop leaving,” he mumbled into Steve’s shirt.

Steve let out a laugh like he couldn’t believe Tony was real. “You too,” he whispered against Tony’s hair. “Please.”

“Let’s get inside.” He didn’t want to move but they couldn’t stay out here so he fished his key from his pocket and sent a quick prayer that Rhodey was AWOL. When the door swung open, the room was blissfully empty and Steve somehow found a way to bring them both inside without ending their embrace. Tony was one hundred percent fine with this development. Except, he also felt gross.  

“I’m a mess,” Tony pulled away to walk over to the sink they had in the corner of the dorm room and began rinsing his face. When he opened his eyes, Steve was standing behind him in the reflection, and Tony jumped, startled. “Whoa you’re like the hot version of horror movie ghost, setting up a jump scare.”

Steve smirked, but the smile didn’t meet his eyes. He reached out for Tony, though, his larger hand engulfing Tony’s and pulling them into each other’s arms. “I’m sorry I made you cry. I remembered your dorm from the last time. When I couldn’t find you...”

Tony pressed his forehead into Steve’s chest, unable to tune out entirely the hard muscle underneath Steve’s thin shirt and the fact that he finally had him here again, inside his dorm and under his touch, Steve’s arms tightening around him. Tony took a watery breath. “It’s been a lot of near misses. You didn’t make me cry so much as the circumstances. I found myself yearning for a phone book, Steve.” Tony sniffed against Steve’s shirt, then pushed back to make sure Steve understood the seriousness of this development. “A _phone book_.”

“Do those even still exist?” An adorable furrow formed between Steve’s brow, and Tony found himself reaching out to trace it with his finger before he even really thought about it. Steve stood under his administration, his eyes closing when Tony’s moved through the strands of his hair, scratching lightly against his scalp.

“I have no idea,” Tony whispered. “Give me your phone.”

Steve’s eyes shot open and found Tony’s. A surprising blush formed across Steve’s cheeks as he pulled his phone out of his back pocket and handed it to Tony. “Can I have yours?” he asked, like Tony would possibly say no.

“Absolutely,” Tony replied, and Steve’s blush deepened. “Did you think I’d say otherwise?” Steve met his gaze again, and in it Tony could see his uncertainty. “And here I’d thought I’d been obvious,” Tony scoffed.

“Obvious?”

“About how into you I am.” Tony felt his own blush form on his cheeks as he remembered all the things he had done with Steve. The linoleum bodega floor under his knees, the frantic making out in cars and hallways and never knowing when they were going to see each other again. “Trust me, I don’t act this way with every shop boy I meet.”

Steve swallowed, handed Tony back his phone. “Me either.”

Tony couldn’t help chuckling at the man’s almost dopey expression. “How about every student?”

Steve rolled his eyes then pulled Tony in for a quick kiss. “Them either. And, um, that’s good to hear.”

“That I’m not going to third base with every Tom, Dick, or Harry working at the nearest corner store? No. Just the Steves, and there’s a good amount of them, so that’s lucky for me.” He was smirking by the end of it, and Steve was growling lightly, starting to tickle at Tony’s sides and it quickly turned into roughhousing.

“It’s a valid question.” Steve twisted so that he had Tony between him and Tony’s bed. Tony let himself fall back on it and pinned Steve with a stare.

“Well, then. I guess my reputation precedes me? But no, I haven’t been pining over anyone as much as you. So maybe you can come sit with me?” He gestured at his sprawled out body.

“First, give me back my phone,” Steve replied. Tony had completely forgotten it was in his hand. “With your number in it.” God, the way his voice sounded, rough and wanting but so determined to achieve his goal, to get Tony’s number. It made something tingle at the base of his spine, to know that Steve felt this way about him.

As soon as Steve had his phone he moved, sliding next to Tony and turning to meet Steve’s lips. “I don’t want this to be a another one-off,” Steve said between kisses.

Tony slid on Steve’s lap as an answer. He wanted to devour the man, to claim him in a way that left no doubts in Steve’s mind. Tony had had his own doubts, but it was hard for them to linger in the face of Steve’s want. “No. You’re mine now. I found you and liked you and now I get to keep you.”

Steve chuckled under him. “Is that how things worked for you growing up?”

Tony shrugged. “Sometimes, but not always.”

Steve leaned in to kiss Tony again, and he could feel Steve’s cock pressing through his denim, yearning for Tony. A spark ran up his spine when he brought their hips together. “It’s working out your way this time.”

“Yes,” Tony bit gently at the bud of Steve’s ear. “It is.” He pulled at Steve’s shirt, and it trussled his hair as it passed over his head. Finally. Steve in front of him with his cheeks pink and his lips bruised from kissing. It felt like forever since he had Steve in his dorm. Tony pushed him back so his head hit the pillow, and Steve’s hands immediately came around Tony’s sides.

“Take off your shirt.” Tony was moving before Steve finished the request, and when he settled back down their chests dragged against each other eliciting moans from both men.  

“God,” Tony moaned. “I missed how you felt.”

“I missed how you tasted,” Steve said between kisses.

“ _Please_ , taste away.”

Steve moved from his lips down his neck. He hovered over Tony’s clavicle. “Okay.”

One word, whispered so breathlessly, like he was being given something special instead of giving Tony everything he’d been wanting. Steve dove in, dragging a line of bites and kisses over his pecs. He stopped at Tony’s nipple, licking and nibbling at it until Tony was squirming and fully hard in his pants.

“Steve, please.” Tony wanted so badly. His hands reached down and started taking off his pants until Steve joined in, grabbing his cock right through Tony’s underwear. “Yes,” he hissed, letting his hips jerk with every twist of Steve’s hand.

When Steve sat up abruptly, Tony groaned and was about to complain until Steve started taking off his pants, pushing them and his underwear down in one swell swoop, and then all Tony could do was swallow over and over because suddenly his throat was very dry.

Tony had no idea how a man who worked at a store had the physique of a professional athlete, but it was a sight to behold every time they came together, frantic and horny and never taking the time to slow down and really see. But now they had time and now Tony could look and appreciate. Steve must have sensed the shift in Tony because he straightened under Tony’s gaze, then dropped his chin and honest to god spun.

“Are you...putting on a show?”

Steve shrugged, and Tony watched how the motion made the muscles in his back ripple while he turned. “Why not? You looked like you were appreciating it.”

Tony grinned. “Handsome _and_ observant.”

Steve leaned in and kissed him in reply, light and soft, and then he pushed back just far enough to whisper against Tony’s lips. “Right back at you. God, Tony.” The words were drenched with emotion, need and awed, like he was grateful to be there with Tony. “You came into my life and just blew everything else away.”

The words, the confession, it caught Tony’s breath. When he could finally speak, it was shaky. “Right back at you. I wanted you from the moment I saw you. I was so high, and so thirsty, and you were like a tall glass of muscly water.” Tony ducked his head, pressed a kiss against Steve’s neck. “You still are.”

Steve pounced in reply, turning until he was bracketing Tony and pushing him back onto the bed, crawling over him and kissing at every bit of skin he could find. “I wanted you so much,” Steve whispered the words into Tony’s skin, up along his thigh. “I had started to doubt you felt the same and--”

“Never,” Tony hissed from under him, coming up to his elbows to make sure Steve could see the honesty in his eyes. “I want this, and you, so much. Have since you were here last, when Pepper and Rhodey barged in.”

Steve chuckled lightly, the breathy laugh causing goosebumps to erupt along Tony’s inner thigh. Tony heard the surprise in Steve’s laugh, and he wanted to do everything he could to make Steve understand.

“I thought you didn’t want me. You knew where my dorm was this entire time but...well… you never knocked on my door.”

“I should’ve.” Steve kissed Tony’s hip bone, ignoring Tony’s growing erection in favor of the soft skin of his belly. His fingers traced along it, like Tony was something he cherished. “I should’ve come by and asked you out proper. Instead..”

“I came to your work and fucked you.”

Steve’s cheeks erupted into a brilliant shade of red, and he bent down to hide in Tony’s neck. “We do that a lot,” Tony felt Steve mumble into his skin. When he pulled back he sought Tony’s eye, and his expression was serious. “I want more. From you. From us.”

Tony’s breath had caught from the moment Steve had met his gaze, but he managed his breathless reply. “Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THEY FINALLY DID IT GUYS! <3


	8. Loving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday! It's been wonderful posting this fic these past few weeks. Thank you all for your your amazing support, lovely comments, kudos and cheerleading. It's been a fun ride! Thanks as always to festiveferret for the beta.
> 
> Till next time..

**_One Year Later_ **

Kisses trailed down Steve’s stomach, and he twisted in the sheets, floating between the fog of sleep and familiar, determined lips. 

They had been staying more and more at Steve’s place because, despite how many roommates he had, it was still better than opening his eyes in the morning and seeing the sleeping, drooling face of James Rhodes. But they’d been out late - Steve working a shift then meeting Tony at the club - and it was easier to stumble back to MIT than catch the train. 

They were alone, thankfully, the early morning sun spilling into the window, and when Steve finally opened his eyes, they landed on Tony’s discarded light-up sneakers tossed near the door. The dorm was boxed up and tidy, except for their trail of clothes that spoke of rushed hands, preoccupied with the singular purpose of finding more skin, kissing and biting and getting each other naked. 

It reminded Steve of their fevered night a year ago, when a thirsty Tony had burst into the bodega and changed his whole world. 

“You’re thinking too hard,” Tony said between love bites along Steve’s abdomen. 

“Thinking ‘bout us,” Steve murmured, breaking into a gasp when Tony pulled back his boxers and kissed under the elastic.

“Oh, yeah?” Tony licked, making Steve squirm. “What about us?”

“You, how you thought--Oh, that feels good.” 

Tony kissed for a little longer, making Steve whimper. Then after a beat, Tony prompted, “Thought what?” 

“That I’d walk away after that first night,” Steve replied. “That night was so unlike anything I’d experienced before. I don’t know how you thought I could possibly lose interest in someone as incredible as you.”

Tony looked up, caught Steve’s gaze with eyes wide and honest. “You’re always saying nice things to me.” 

Warmth bloomed in Steve’s chest, remembering those words spoken in this exact same bed all those months ago. 

Steve spun them so that he was now perched on top of Tony. “Going to keep saying them, too. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.” His grin blew wide just thinking about it.

“You’re going to be the cheesiest roommate I’ll ever have, and I’m about to have like five hundred of them.”

Steve nuzzled into Tony’s neck, beginning a string of kisses that mirrored the ones Tony had woken him up with. “Off-campus housing will be an adjustment,” Steve said, licking at Tony’s nipple until he gasped, then continuing down along his stomach. “But I’ll make sure everything goes okay.” Steve lowered Tony’s boxers, watching his cock bounce free before licking at the tip just to hear Tony moan. “I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

“Oh, fuck,” Tony breathed, before Steve swallowed him down in one smooth slide. “Steve--Yes, yes. That feels so good.” 

Steve smirked around Tony’s cock, lifting his gaze to meet Tony’s, knowing exactly what he looked like. “Damn, Steve. You’re going to be the best roommate.”

He had to pull off Tony's cock to laugh, trailing kisses up and down his thighs as he caught his breath. “You too, Tony. You too.” He moved down, starting to lick and suck at Tony’s balls. “Gonna have you with me all the time now, won’t even need your number anymore.”

Tony groaned. “Don’t even start with  _ phone numbers _ right now, Rogers.” 

Steve bit at his thigh lightly, then returned to Tony’s cock, but before he could get his mouth around the head, Tony swatted at his side. “Bring your hips around here, I want to taste you too. Take care of you, while you take care of me.”

“You always make me feel good,” Steve began, doing as Tony suggested and swinging his hips until his cock hovered over Tony’s mouth. He let himself watch as Tony started to tease, rubbing his lips along the head until Steve’s cock twitched and a bead of precome slipped from the tip. Tony’s smile at the sight almost made Steve come right there and then, but luckily Tony’s hand came to grip around the base as his tongue slipped out, and Steve was able to take a shaky breath and bring his focus back to Tony’s cock, hard and waiting, beneath him.

They both moaned as they simultaneously brought their lips to each other’s cocks. The taste of Tony overwhelmed Steve's senses and made him have to restrain himself from thrusting so hard Tony would gag. Even after a year - the feel of Tony, the taste of him, the way he lit Steve’s body on fire - none of it lessened with time. He had pushed open the door to the club last night, seen Tony dancing in those spandex biker shorts, and it was like he was that divine vision Steve had seen that first night. Only now, Tony belonged to him.

Tony’s hand came around Steve’s waist, stilling Steve’s hips at first but then continuing around to trail his fingers along the crack of Steve’s ass. The sensation made Steve groan which sent a vibration along Tony’s cock, making Tony moan and cause the same thing to happen to Steve; they were a circuit, connected - pleasure running back and forth between them. 

Under him, Tony sucked as his fingers prodded, and when they slid along Steve’s rim, he couldn’t help thrusting his hips a bit. Tony gagged then moaned, and Steve was gone, fucking Tony’s mouth with jagged, little thrusts, as he sucked and sucked and sucked Tony's cock. He could tell Tony wanted to let out a string of dirty talk because he was moaning nonstop now around Steve. The vibrations, the probing fingers, it was all too much, and Steve squeezed Tony’s hip as a warning. Tony took the warning as a challenge to suck even harder and thrust his own hips up until Steve was choking and coming down Tony’s throat.

Tony’s hips kept moving, and Steve kept sucking through his orgasm, wanting Tony to feel good, wanting his cock to explode in his mouth, so that he could taste Tony right now, first thing in the morning. 

It didn’t take much longer. Tony pulled off Steve’s cock so his moans reverberated throughout the dormroom, his hips pistoling in and out of Steve’s mouth until he coated Steve’s tongue with his come.

All the moans and gasps cut off, leaving only a pair of heavy breathing as they both came down from their pleasure. “I can’t feel my toes,” Tony grumbled into Steve’s thigh. He came to himself and rolled off Tony, the too-small bed barely fitting both of them.

Steve felt exhausted yet alive. “I’m tingling in my--”

The door flung open. Steve went scrambling from the bed. He didn’t even think, just made a noise that sounded embarrassingly like a squawk, and grabbed the comforter that had fallen off the foot of the bed. They were both completely naked and Rhodey stood, shocked, at the threshold of the dormroom.

Tony didn’t move at all, of course. He stayed sprawled out on the bed, head resting on his folded arms. Steve shook his head, blushing enough for the both of them, as he spread the blanket out over them both. Tony kept smirking, and Steve wanted to throw the blanket over his head and hide. 

“Rhodey, Pep, come on in, since apparently, we don’t knock anymore.” 

Tony words seemed to shake Rhodey from his surprise. Behind him, Pepper had started full on laughing, bending over at the waist she was so amused. “I live here, Tony! I don’t have to knock.”

“You do when you  _ know _ it’s our anniversary.”

Steve’s head whipped towards Tony. Steve was under the impression that their anniversary was a couple weeks from now, when they finally got their heads on straight enough to exchange numbers and become exclusive. But here Tony was, proclaiming it for the world that it was today. “Wait, I thought--” Steve began.

“Anniversary?” Rhodey asked.

“Yeah, for when you barged in on us last time.” He turned and winked at Steve. “You guys owe us waffles.”

“We do?” Pepper asked, she was leaning against the wall now, looking a bit winded but no longer laughing. “And why's that?”

“We were going to get some last time, before you interrupted,” Steve replied, remembering.

“Right in one.”

“And then you went running off,” Rhodey continued.

“Hey!” Tony’s interrupted, taking offense on Steve’s behalf, and it wasn’t really necessary because Rhodey was right, he had. 

“And then I went running off,” Steve agreed. “Not this time.”

Rhodey lifted an eyebrow. “No, this time you two are remaining ridiculously naked under a comforter, deciding that we’re taking you out for waffles?”

“You’re taking us out for waffles?” Tony asked, feigning surprise. “How kind!”

“That’s real swell of you,” Steve said around a smirk, playing along.

“We did cause them to split that morning, and then there was all that drama--”

“That was not our fault, Pep!” 

“Kinda your fault,” Tony replied. 

“Are you--! Okay, fine, waffles. But we are  _ not _ responsible for anything else.”

Tony squeezed Steve’s hand, pulling his attention from Rhodey and Pepper. “What do you say?” he asked. 

Steve grinned, resting his head on Tony's shoulder. “Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

 

 

_fin_ __

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say hi on tumblr: [ashes0909](http://ashes0909.tumblr.com) <3


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